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Thursday, August 6, 2015

How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot

How to Be Popular is an enjoyable middle grade realistic fiction book. One day in the sixth grade, Stephanie Landry accidentally spilled a Big Red Super Big Gulp (a type of soda that makes the worst stain in the world) on the most popular girl in school. Whenever someone did something really dumb or embarrassing, they would say, "Way to pull a Steph Landry!"

Five years later, nobody has forgotten, and pretty much the entire town uses the saying, and Stephanie is the complete opposite of popular. She has two friends in the whole world, and they don't care about their social ranking, but Steph does. She is tired of living on the bottom, and wants a chance at the high life. In an old box, she finds a book called How to Be Popular, which she believes is her ticket in. It is easy to get in, but is it easy to stay in?

First off, the cover is amazing. I spent a good three minutes reading all the sayings on it. After each chapter there is a page from the book she found with good advice on it with a clue as to what could be in the next chapter. The advice the book gives is not just for people who want to be popular; it is just good advice that anyone should know. My favorite one is "The best way to win an argument is to avoid one in the first place" from page 227.

I liked the voice and how different the characters are from each other. There is no way to mistake a character for someone else. The descriptions are very detailed, and I could picture the events of the entire book. There are not many books that can do that.

I agree with what the book told her to do for the most part. I think that it was a little too exaggerated, but maybe it is just how it was in their setting. All the book told her to do is to change her clothes so people would like her, and to be overall nicer. I do NOT agree with the clothes part. For everyone reading this, let me tell you that someone who only likes you based on the clothes you wear or how you look is not your friend. A true friend should like you regardless of your clothes and respect your opinion.

I recommend you read this well-written book, and it is one I will be reading again.